SIHH 2017 Highlights: Roger Dubuis

Roger Dubuis is all about high-performing and super technical watches this year, as it declared 2017 to be the year of its flagship Excalibur collection. Sharing the limelight with three world premieres is the announcement of its partnership with racing tyre maker Pirelli, an alliance that has led to the launch of two ground-breaking watches. Far more than just collector’s items, the brand also announced that these watches come with exclusive money-can’t-buy experiences.

What is unprecedented about these two watches is that their straps are inlaid with Pirelli tyres. And not just any ordinary tyre, but certified ones from the winning cars from official F1 races. Adorned with tread motifs reproducing the profile of a Pirelli Cinturato intermediate tyre, each strap also features a barcode that guarantees the authenticity of the tyre’s origins. Both watches are designed with bright blue accents as a tribute to the 2016 Monaco F1 race. The latter’s winning car tyres can now be found on the straps of these two watches.

Sized at 47mm, the impressive ticker is offered in a DLC titanium case with vulcanised blue rubber accents. The skeletonised calibre RD105SQ shows off the signature Astral Skeleton that is now presented in blue, as well as the flying tourbillon escapements at 5 and 7 o’clock that have their counters designed after race car speedometers, complete with automobile-inspired hands. The watch also features a power reserve indicator that is modelled after the fuel gauges on race cars.

The skeletonised calibre RD105SQ

Designed in the same aesthetic codes, the Excalibur Spider Pirelli Automatic Skeleton is presented in a 45mm DLC titanium case with blue accents. Powered by the RD820SQ calibre movement that was first presented in 2015, the brand’s first automatic skeleton comes with a micro rotor and the trademark Astral Skeleton. Limited to 88 auspicious pieces, each owner will also be invited to Pirelli events.